Soldiers to be blocked from accessing 'harmful' apps

Soldiers to be blocked from accessing 'harmful' apps

By Yi Whan-woo The Ministry of National Defense began censoring smartphone applications deemed “harmful” to service members. It will set up its own criterion and take steps in preventing the apps from being downloaded once they are classified as inappropriate. “We’re looking to sort out sites that could have a negative impact on our soldiers,” a ministry official said. “At the same time, we will come up with appropriate countermeasures, including restrictions on downloading or forceful removal of the apps,” the official added. The ministry will first pinpoint content considered “pro-North Korean” or that slandering the president, the commander-in-chief and other top military brass. A total of 11 apps are on the list, which subordinate military units have already ruled as harmful. The ministry will also look at other apps which instigate social disorder, praise North Korea, or spread groundless rumors. “We will consider blocking the apps from the start or uninstalling programs upon agreement with the soldiers,” the ministry official said. To come up with detailed guidelines for the classification of harmful apps, the ministry will refer to its own standards and the ones set by the Korea Communication Commission, the country’s governing body on broadcasting and telecommunications. This is the first time that the ministry has taken action to regulate smartphone applications. The move comes after the Sixth Army Corps and other military units ordered troops to refrain from downloading pro-North Korean applications. One of the apps deemed pro-North Korea was the popular political podcast, “Naneun Ggomsuda,” a weekly Internet radio talk show specialized in lampooning President Lee Myung-bak. The show has been downloaded by millions. A military unit has banned its soldiers from downloading the podcast, also known as “Naggomsu.” At a session of the National Assembly on Tuesday, Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin said the ban on Naggomsu was “justifiable.” The ministry’s censorship is drawing protest from civic groups. The Center for Military Human Rights said the ministry’s move to censor and forcibly remove what it calls harmful apps violates basic human rights. It filed a petition Tuesday with the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, asking the watchdog to look into the case. In 2008, the ministry banned soldiers from reading books deemed “seditious and harmful.” Among the 23 books was one written by U.S author Noam Chomsky, and the decision brought opposition, even within the military. Some military law officers submitted a petition with the Constitutional Court, saying the ban infringed on soldiers’ rights to pursue happiness.